Loop drier



April 15, 1930. A. o. HURXTHAL LOOP DRIER Filed July 3, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April l5, 1930. A. o. HURXTHAL 1,755,006

' LOOP DRIER Filed July 1928 2. Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr, 15, t

ALPHEUS O. HURXTHAL, OF PHILADELPHIA, ZPENNSYLVAN IA, ASSIGNOB TO FROCTOR AND SCHWARTZ, INCORPORATED, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A GORPOBA- TION 0ft! JPFMNEMLVAN LOOSE DRIER Application filed July 3, 1928 Serial No. 299,092;

My invention relates to loop drie'rs of the type employed in the drying of web materials such as paper, cloth, and other fabrics,or for the purpose of simultaneously drying a plurality of threads or strands of yarn, such as those of which warps are composed.

The principal object of my invention is to provide means for automatically placing or dropping a series of poles or rollers respectively and successively onto the material between pairs of adj acently positioned slats or girts of a suitable conveyor, whereby the material will be pressed down between the g'irts and thereby formed into a series of depending l loops or festoons.

Each roller at all times assumes a position in the bottom of the respective loop and is of such weight as to place the material under sufficient tension between the girts to cause the loops to form without wrinkling the material. Y

The tension, thus produced, stabilizes the loops to the extent that, during the formation and extraction of the loops and during the drying process, each loop will hang free from contact with the adjacent loops, thereby permitting the conveyer girts to be placed closer together than usual, consequently effecting a conservation of space and permitting the drier to be made shorter for a given number of loops than was possible heretofore.

Stabilization of the loops, as above noted, permits the air in the drier to be circulated at a higher velocity than was possible heretofore, thereby edecting a quicker drying of the material because the loops are not apt to flutter in the air and thereby become wrinkled and entangled with each other. 1

The tension rollers or weights lying 1n the 49 bottom of the loops produces sufiicient friction between the material and the girts, and between the material and the tension rollers, to cause the material to move relative to the girts and rollers when the girts are rotated. This rotation of the girts may be continuous or intermittent, as desired, and prevents, what is known to the trade as stick marks being produced on the material. I

Another object of the invention is to pro- C vide means at the delivery end of the drier for i the roller elevating .wheels for the tension rollers at the feed end of the machine;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing one of wheels at the discharge end of the machine Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one of the tension rollers; and Y Fig. 5 is a perspective view of irts.

As illustrated in Fi 1 of the drawing, the drier comprises a casing 1. Rotatably mounted in and extending transversely of the casing 1 is a series ofshafts 2,2. Each shaft .2 has secured thereto, in spaced relation to each-other, a pair of sprocket wheels 3. In the drawing but ondwheel 3 is shown on each shaft 2 adjacent one side of the casing 1, it being understood that adjacent the opposite 8 side of the casing 1 is positioned the other wheel 3 of each of the pairs of wheels secured to each shaft 2, as above noted.

The wheels 3 at each side of the casing are aligned to receive a conveyer chain 4. Extending between and rotatably mounted on the conveyer chains 4, 4; is a series of gir-ts 5, 5.

The material to be dried, indicated at m, is. adapted to be formed into a series of loops as, respectively located between pairs of adjacent girts 5.

In the bottom of each loop 0: is located a tension weight, in the form of a roller 10, having trunnions 11, 11 projecting longitudinally from the opposite ends of and axially aligned with each roller. v

The material to be dried passes over a roller 6 and enters the casing 1 through a slot 7 located at the feed end ofthe drier. At the opposite end of the drier the dried material 100 one of the is drawn out of the casing 1, through a slot 8 formed therein, by a roller 9, being gripped between the roller 9 and a co-operating roller9.

At the feed and of the drier and adjacent the inner side of each of the conveyer chains 4 is rigidl mounted an inclined rack element 12 on whic the trunnions 11, of the rollers 10, are adapted to rest.

Feedin of the rollers onto the material :a at pre etermined intervals is eflected by means of star wheels 15, 15 located respectively adjacent the outer sides of the rack elements 12. p I

The star wheels 15' each comprise a hub 16, a flange 17 and a series of radially extending ribs 18. The trunnions 11 of the rollers 10 engage the ribs 18 of the star Wheels and lie intermediate the flanges 17 of the star -wheels located at the opposite sides of the drier.

By this means the rollers are held in correct position transversely of the drier to be dropped onto the material intermediate the conveyer chains 4, 4.

The flange 17 of each star wheel 15 functions as one element of a Geneva movement, by which the rollers 10 are dropped onto the material at predetermined intervals, as the upper run of the material conve or moves toward the discharge end of the drier, to bring the girts 5 successively into roper position for the formation of the Foo s therebetween.

he flange 17 of eachstar wheel 15 is provided with concaved portions 19 in which the circular portion 20 of the second element of the Geneva movement is ada ted to rotate.

This second element of the eneva movement is provided with a flange 21 in which is secured a laterally extending pin or roller enter, successively, a-

22 which is adapted to series-of slots 23 formed in the flange 17 of the star wheel 15. The slots 23 are radially aligned with the respective ribs 18. of the star wheel.

The circular portion 20 of the second element of the Geneva movement is cut out, as '24, to permit the passage of the concaved portions 19 ofv the flange 17 of the star wheel 15 to ass, when the roller 22 enters one of the r ial slots 23 of the flange 17.

At the delivery end of the drier is provided an elevator wheel 25 adjacent the inner side of each of the conveyer chains 4.

The elevator wheels '25 are rotatably mounted in a fixed osition within the casing 1, and are provided with teeth or hook por tions 26 which are adapted to enter between the girts 5, 5, to receive the trunnions 11' of the respective rollers 10, when the rollers are raised to a position ad] acent the upper run of the conveyer chains 3, by the material being drawn outof the last loop to of the series by the co-operating drawing rollers 9 and 9".

the gullets 27 of the hooks 26, and are deposited on endless chains 28 which pass around sprocket wheels 29 secured to the respective elevator wheels 25 and around sprocket wheels 30 rotatably mounted adjacent the upper ends of the rack elements 12, at the feed end of the drier. By this means the tension rollers-are returned to the feed end of the drier for subsequent use.

To prevent the rollers 10 from rolling along the chains 28 as they are dropped out of the gullets 27 of the elevator wheels 25, an esca ement device is provided at each side of the rier, each of which consists of a lever 30 ivoted at 31 and having a vertical projection 32 adapted to be raised above the upper run of the adjacent chain 28 to act as a stop for the rollers, and to be lowered below the upper run of the chain to release the rollers after the same become inert on the chains 28.

Raising and lowering of the stops 32 /is eflected by cam wheels 34 secured to the elevator wheels 25 and en aging rollers 35 rotatably mounted on the evers 30.

The material conveyer chains 4, the material feed' roller 6, the roller feed wheels 15, the roller elevator wheels 25, and the roller return conveyer 28 are adapted to be driven at predetermined relative s eeds from a common drive shaft 40, while t e drawing rollers 9, 9 are driven from an independent shaft 41, in the present instance.

The shaft 40 's rotatably mounted in suitable bearin s, not shown, and adapted to be rotated at t e desired speed by any suitable means, such as an electric motor, not shown. On the shaft 40 is a pair of worms 42 and 43. The worm 42 meshes with a worm wheel 44 secured to a rotatably mounted shaft 45, on which is secured sprocket wheels 46 and 47. p

The sprocket wheel 46 meshes with a sprocket chain 48 which drives a sprocket wheel 49 secured to one of the shafts 2, for moving the material conveyer irts 5 through the machine at a predetermined rate of speed. The sprocket wheel 47 meshes with a sprocket chain 50 which drives a sprocketwheel .51 secured to the shaft '52 on which the feed roll 6is secured, thereby rotating the feed wheel at a definite rate of speed relative to the movement of the girts 5, whereby thet material is laid loops over the said The star wheels 15 are partially rotated at redetermined intervals to drop a tension r ol er onto the material which is carried between a pair-of adjacent girts 5 which are being moved under c thelower ends of the rack elements 12, to cause the roller to ress the material down betweenthe girts to orm a loop.

Intermittent movement of the star wheels The roller trunnions 11, 11 are carried in v with is effected by the above mentioned Genova movements, one element of each of whlch is provided with a sprocket wheel 81 which is driven by a sprocket chain 82 from a sprocket wheel 53 secured to a rotatably mounted shaft 54. The shaft 54 is provided a worm wheel 55 which meshes with the worm 43 on the shaft 40.

Another sprocket wheel 56 on the shaft 54 is o eratively' connected by a sprocket chain 5 to a sprocket wheel 58 secured to the shaft 59 on which the sprocket wheels 30 of the roller return conveyers 28 are secured. The elevator wheels are rotated by the conveyer chains 28.

The shaft 41 is provided with a worm 6Q which meshes with a Worm wheel 61 secured to a shaft 62 on which is also secured a.

sprocket 63. The sprocket 63 is operatively connected by a sprocket chain 64 with a sprocket wheel 65 secured to the shaft 66 on which the drawing roll 9 is secured.

The shaft 41 which operates the drawing roll 9 is adapted to be driven from a source of power independent of that of the shaft 40, preferably by a separate electric motor not shown, in order that the speed at which the material is drawn out of the loops, may be properly regulated relative to the speed of movement of the material conveyer and the elevator Wheels 25, so that the tension roller 10 in the last loop m of the series will be raised to and maintained at the proper position to be delivered to the hooks of the elevator wheels at such time as the said hooks are in the proper position to receive the trunnions of the tension rollers.

For this purpose a suitable switch 75 is provided for controlling the flow of current to the motor which drives the roll 9. The

switch 75, in the present instance, comprises -As the material conveyer advances, the

roller 10 is moved along the lever 78 and the hooks of the elevator Wheels 25 are brought into a position substantially as shown in Fig.- 1, whereupon theroller 10 rides from under the switch arm 78 permitting the same to drop, to close the switch 75.

Closing of the switch 75 starts the motor which rotates the roll 9, thereby drawing the material from the broken line position to the full line position in Fig. 1, which delivers the roller 10 into the hooks of the elevator wheel 25.

Continued movement of the elevator wheel posit them on the inclined rack elements 12 25' deposits the rollers onto the conveyer chains 28, which carry the rollers to and defrom which they are delivered by the star wheels 15 for a repeat of the cycle.

The bottom edge 27 i of each of the gullets 27 of the elevator wheels 25 are arranged to engage the material lying over the girt 5 at the rear of the last loop of the series, so that the said last loop can be drawn out without affecting the other loops of the series. As the girts and elevator wheels advance the said edges of the gullets move away from the engaged girt to permit the next loop to be drawn out. w 7

On one end of each of'the girts 5 is a pinion 70, Whichin the present instance is adapted to be brought into co-operative engagement with a fixed gear rack 71, so that, as the upper runof the material conveyer advances toward the delivery end of the drier, the girts 5 will be rotated, which will cause a relative movement of the material with respect to the girts. This movement of the material will cause a similar relative movement with respect to the tension roller 10 lying in the bottom of the loop, thereby preventing the formation of" stick marks on the material. A

Any of the well knownmeans for heating] the goods is apt to shrink unevenly causing some of the tension rollers 10 to swing out of parallel alignment with the adjacent rollers or all the rollers to swing from their normal positions at right'angles to the longitudinal center line of the goods to positions at various angles relative to said line.

To overcome this possibility and to hold the rollers in correct position at right angles to the longitudinal center line of the goods and parallel to each other, as the loops travel throughthe drier, an endless chain 90 is provided at each side of the drier, having plates 91 secured thereto, the plates 91 being positioned on the chains 90 in a manner to orm vertically extending slots 92, between the plates, which are adapted to receive the trunnions 11 of the rollers 10, the upper ends of said'slots being flared as shown at 93 toguide the trunnions 11 of the rollers into the slots 92.

The chains 90, 90 pass around sprockets 94 secured to shafts 95, 95 rotatably mounted in the drier, and on the shaft 95 is secured a sprocket 96 which is operatively connected by a sprocket chain 97 to asprocket wheel 98 secured to one of the shafts 2, which carry the material conveyer chains 4, thus the loop or roller steadying mechanism is driven in syncasing'enclosing a drying chamber; an endless conveyer; girts carried by the conveyer over which the material is to be looped;

means for feeding the material to the conveyer; a feed wheel for placing poles on the material between the girts to form the loops;

- an elevating wheel at .the dischargeQend of veyer,

the drier arranged to receive thepoles from g the loops as they are drawn up; and an endless conveyer for carrying the poles from the discharge end of the drier thereof. 1

2. The combination in a loop drier, of an endless belt conveyer; girts on the conveyer over which the materia is looped; poles arranged in the bottoms of the loops to hold the said loops straight as the material is traversed through the drier; an inclined rack on which thepoles accumulate; feed wheels at the feed end of the machine arranged to feed the poles from the inclined rack into the loops; means at the discharge end of the machine for collectingthe poles as the loops are drawn out; and means for returning the poles to the inclined rack.

3. The combination in a loop drier, of an endless conveyer having girts on which the material is looped; poles arranged in the bottoms of the loops; means for feeding the poles to the loo s; an elevator wheel at-the discharge en of the drier having arms which engage the poles as the loops are drawn, said arms frictionally holding the material on the girts as the loops are drawn; and means for returning the poles to the feed-end of the machine.

4. The combination in a loop drier, of an endless conveyer; girts carried by said conon which the material is looped; poles arranged in the bottoms of the loops to place the material of the loops under tension;

means for advancing the conveyer through the drier; and means for rotating the girts,

whereby the tension produced by the poles on the bottoms of the loops will cause the mawith respect to the girts and the poles, said I a similar rotation ofthe poles;

landless conveyer; girts carrie by said con- I veyer;

terial to frictionally engage the girts and the and whereby rotation of the girts will cause a relative movement of the material relative movement of the material causing 5a The combination in a 100 drier, of an on which the material is looped; poles arranged in the bottomsof the loops to place the material ofthe loops under tension;

meansfor advancnig the conveyer throughthe drier; and means for rotating the'girts,

to the delivery end the material of the loops under tension;

means for advancing the conveyer through the drier; and means for rotating the girts, complrising a pinion on each girt and a short rigi y mounted gear rack adapted to engage the teeth of the pinions as the respective g1rts I pass from one end to the other end of-said ear rack. 7. The combination in a loop drier, of an endless conveyer; girts on the conveyer over which the material is looped; poles located in the bottoms of the loops; means for driving the said conveyer to advance the loops through the drier; a dischar drum for drawing the material out of ti: loops successively; means for driving the discharge drum independent of the conve er driving -means; and an electric switch a apted to be; engaged and operated by the ole in the loop being withdrawn, for contro ling the operation of said discharge drum.

8. The combination in a 100 drier, of a casing enclosing a drying cham ber; an end-q less conveyer; girts carried by the conveyer over which the material is to be looped; means for feeding the material to the con veyer; a feed wheel for placing poles on the material between the girts to form the loops; an elevating wheel at the discharge end of the drier arrangedto receive the poles from the loops as they are drawn up; an endless conveyer for carrying the poles from the discharge end of the drier to the delivery en thereof; and an escapement mechanism for positioning the poles on the last said endless conve er.

9. he combination in a loop drier, of an endless conve er adapted to be driven at a predetermine speed; girts on the conveyer in spaced relation and substantially parallel to .each other over which the material to be terial between the girts to form the loops; and means adjacent the bottoms of said loops for engaging the poles to steady the loops as they travel through the drier.

10. The combination in a loop drier, of an endless conve er adapted to be driven at a redetermine speed; girts on the conve er in spaced relation and substantially para el to each dried isplaced; means for feeding the material to the conveyer for the formation of said loops; means for feeding poles onto the material between the girts to form the loops; endless chains adjacent the bottoms of the a 100 drier, of-an other over which the material to be 11 100 s; means for feeding poles onto the maloops; and plates on said chains spaced apart to form slots for the reception of said poles for steadying the bottoms of the loops.

11. The combination in a loop drier, of an endless conveyor adapted to be driven at a predetermined speed; girts on the conveyer in spaced relation and substantially parallel to each other over which the material to be dried is placed; means for feeding the matem rial to the conveyer for the formation of said loops; means for feeding poles onto the material between the girts to form the loops; endless chains adjacent the bottoms of the loops; plates on said chains spaced apart to form slots for the reception of said poles for steadying the bottoms of the loops; and means for driving the plate carrying chains in synchronism with the girt carrying con- Veyer.

. ALPHEUS O. HURXTHAL. 

